Jealousy over a woman in the Middle East prompted a trans-gendered Iranian refugee to kill his male housemate last month in Twin Falls, ending a more than year-long relationship that spanned the globe.

The relationship turned tumultuous in America, according to their mutual friend, Shemshat Muhammedberdiyena, 37, a political refugee from Uzbekistan now living in Twin Falls.

Twin Falls' most recent homicide unfolded around 1:30 a.m. on Aug. 25 along Fifth Avenue East. Witnesses said they saw a man in a car shot in the head by a tall, blond woman before the car drove across the street and crashed into a house.

The man, Ehsan Velayati Kababian, 29, was dead when police arrived.

The apparent woman, later identified by authorities as a man, Majid Kolestani, 42, was indicted by a grand jury Wednesday on a first-degree murder charge.

Police found him at a nearby apartment at 363 Fourth Ave. East, minutes after discovering Kababian's lifeless body. He too had apparently been shot and was taken to St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise for treatment, released days later, and lodged into the TwinFalls County Jail without bond. Neighbors thought Kolestani shot himself after allegedly shooting Kababian.

Kolestani and Kababian shared a second-floor Fourth Avenue apartment with a dog, and had only been in the United States since about February, Muhammedberdiyena said through a translator.

She said she met the two in English classes, and briefly worked with them at Cactus Petes in Jackpot from March until until June.

Muhammedberdiyena said she thinks she may have been the last person to associate with the pair before the homicide, but hasn't communicated with police or shown authorities pictures and videos of Kolestani and Kababian in the weeks before the killing.

She said Kolestani and Kababian were in Turkey for about 18 months before coming to America, and that after arriving here they often fought.

Kababian was recently and secretly rekindling a prior, six-year romance with a woman in Iran. The romance stalled when the woman's family wouldn't allow them to marry because of religious differences.

But the Iranian woman's family became more amenable to a marriage after Kababian came to the U.S., Muhammedberdiyena said.

In the weeks before his death, Kababian went to Muhammedberdiyena's house every day to check his e-mail and send pictures to the Iranian woman.

Kolestani was in the dark, Muhammedberdiyena stressed through a translator.

It's unclear if Kolestani and Kababian had a romantic relationship. All information about them and the case is being funneled through the Twin Falls County Prosecutor's Office, and prosecutor Grant Loebs said authorities haven't conclusively determined if there was a romantic relationship.

Downstairs neighbors at the Fourth Avenue apartment thought the two were married, and Muhammedberdiyena said she didn't know if there was love between Kolestani and Kababian, but she believed Kolestani was passionate about him and would act jealous about where he was and what he was doing.

College of Southern Idaho Refugee Center Director Ron Black said he can't discuss why Kababian and Kolestani came to Twin Falls of if they may have been romantically involved, citing confidentiality issues.

Muhammedberdiyena said she thinks she last saw Kababian the night he was killed. Kababian and Kolestani would often climb through her window, use her cameras, computer, Internet, and drink tea at her modest home. Her hospitality emanated last week as she served coffee, chocolates and Russian soup to visitors - but took none for herself in observance of the Muslim period of Ramadan - then scooted away briefly to cloak her head in a long scarf and briefly prayed.

The last time Muhammedberdiyena saw Kababian, he had came to her house, she said, to charge his cellular phone because he had been fighting with Kolestani and didn't want to go home. Kababian planned to sleep in his car that night, she said.

Shortly after Kababian left Muhammedberdiyena's home Kolestani came looking for him, she said. Muhammedberdiyena said she told Kolestani that Kababian would be back soon and Kolestani made tea while waiting for him but ultimately left with Kababian's phone before he returned.

When Kababian returned for his phone he became angry Muhammedberdiyena let Kolestani take it - and was concerned because it held information about the woman in Iran, she said.

Muhammedberdiyena said she never heard from the pair again. She said she learned of Kababian's death when she saw a photo of Kolestani in the newspaper.

Muhammedberdiyena said she worked with them as housekeepers at Cactus Petes from March until June. They rode a bus together to work, and on the bus, Kolestani would often bicker with Kababian, she said.

"They would fight all the time, every day," said Muhammedberdiyena through a translator.

She said she thinks Kolestani acted "crazy" and "jealous" towards Kababian. But Muhammedberdiyena said she never knew that Kolestani was a man. Police initially identified Kolestani as a woman in early press releases.

Downstairs neighbors at the Fourth Avenue apartment thought Kolestani and Kababian were married and also didn't know Kolestani was a man.

Muhammedberdiyena said she had noticed Kolestani had a deep voice and some facial hair, and neighbors said they also took note of Kolestani's deep voice.

The homicide story became an international news item after a Web site out of Uzbekistan claimed it was purely American propaganda, said Muhammedberdiyena.

Kolestani is also known as Nastaran Kolestani. His first names listed in court records - Nastaran and Majid - are Persian and Arabic: Nastaran is a female name that means "wild rose" and Majid is a male name that means "noble glory," according to baby name Web sites.

With a conviction, Kolestani could face maximum penalties of life in prison or even death. His next court date is set for Sept. 15.

Andrea Jackson may be reached at 208-735-3380 or ajackson@magicvalley.com.